6 replies to this topic

[Jaff]

Permanent erase filename entires from folders for deleted/unrecoverable files. Simple example: from over 56.000 files found on only one partition of my HDD, only maximum 20 can be recovered due to low disk of space (less than 10MB) data for others being overwritten already. What use makes to me non-recoverable filenames? Useless waste of space in folders. This may also be applied to Defraggler who forget to erase them since are no more recoverable due to moved data.

Thank you in advance.

[Augeas]

As far as I'm aware these file names - in whatever form - cannot be removed from the MFT. This is a function of how the file system (NTFS) works. Although they take up space, 1k each entry, it is not huge in real terms. Your 56,000 filenames will take up 56 mb of space. The file data these entries point to is available for use.

If your partition has only 10 mb of free space then you have serious problems. Moving some files to a usb drive should free up enough space for you to archive data to cd/dvd. Or resize the partition if you can.

[Jaff]

Forget about space, but most annoying thing is that the files size/date/name who are remaining in the MFT. That data can't be at least overwritten?

[Augeas]

Not as far as I know. As Recuva doesn't do this then I expect it isn't easily done.

[e_xit]

These file names can be removed from the MFT fairly easily.
I use eraser from http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/ Open my computer right click C:\ and choose erase unused space. In options choose directory entries and voila after a couple of minutes filenames are gone and replaced with random data names.
See attached pic

Augeas, on Mar 18 2009, 09:12 PM, said:

As far as I'm aware these file names - in whatever form - cannot be removed from the MFT. This is a function of how the file system (NTFS) works. Although they take up space, 1k each entry, it is not huge in real terms. Your 56,000 filenames will take up 56 mb of space. The file data these entries point to is available for use.

If your partition has only 10 mb of free space then you have serious problems. Moving some files to a usb drive should free up enough space for you to archive data to cd/dvd. Or resize the partition if you can.

Attached Files

•  recuva_grab.jpg   93.81K   19 downloads

[Augeas]

I think that you're saying that the file names have been overwritten, not removed. This can be done very easily by allocating randomly named files until the entries in the MFT are overwritten - 'replaced' - and then deleting them. Or just wait until enough files have been created in the normal course of events to overwrite the old names. Or use Eraser. I don't know what CCleaner Wipe free Space does with these file names as nobody has posted the info, and I'm not going to use it to see.

[Yilta]

e_xit, on Apr 16 2009, 12:44 PM, said:

These file names can be removed from the MFT fairly easily.
I use eraser from http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/ Open my computer right click C:\ and choose erase unused space. In options choose directory entries and voila after a couple of minutes filenames are gone and replaced with random data names.
See attached pic

I don't see the "directory entries" setting. Where is it? I have the latest current version of Eraser.